Diana Shnaider beat Slovak teenager Mia Pohankova 6-4, 7-6 (7) in the Pan Pacific Open semifinals in Tokyo on Saturday, according to Nation Press’s report and the pre-match preview coverage, which confirms the same semifinal pairing. Shnaider, the third seed, according to earlier Tokyo coverage, will face Leylah Fernandez in the WTA 500 final, according to Nation Press.
Shnaider had to save a set point in the second set, according to Nation Press, before winning the tiebreak 7-6 (7) in one hour and 46 minutes, according to the same source. Pohankova, the 18-year-old wild card who had beaten Naomi Osaka and Alycia Parks earlier in the week, according to Oct 30 coverage, pushed the third seed hard but could not force a deciding set.
Shnaider survives a teenage scare
Pohankova’s week in Tokyo — Osaka in the second round, Parks in the quarterfinals, according to Oct 30 coverage — had already marked her as a breakthrough star, and Saturday’s semifinal showed why. The teenager, who turned 18 last week, according to Oct 30 coverage, took Shnaider to a second-set tiebreak and held a set point, according to Nation Press, before the third seed’s experience told.
Shnaider’s ability to save that set point and win the tiebreak, according to Nation Press, is the mark of a top player under pressure. Against a fearless teenager with nothing to lose, Shnaider stayed composed, made first serves when they mattered, and closed out the match without needing a third set. The 6-4, 7-6 (7) scoreline, according to Nation Press, reflects a match closer than a straight-sets result usually suggests.
Fernandez final promises high quality
Shnaider against Fernandez, according to Nation Press, pairs the third seed against the world No. 23, according to Tennis Watcher, in a final between two players who both recovered from early-set deficits in their semifinals, according to Nation Press. Fernandez beat Rakhimova 7-5, 6-3, according to the Associated Press account, while Shnaider beat Pohankova 6-4, 7-6 (7), according to Nation Press — a final lineup that rewards resilience as much as talent.
For Pohankova, the semifinal defeat ends a dream week, but a run to the last four at a WTA 500 event, including wins over Osaka and Parks, according to Oct 30 coverage, announces her as a player to watch. For Shnaider, the final offers a chance to cap a strong Tokyo week with a title — but Fernandez, fresh from her own comeback win, will be a formidable opponent.
